One to Watch: Marysia Swim

Published December 12, 2011•Updated on December 12, 2011 at 9:48 am

Marysia Swim

Swimwear designers often cite their love of travel or devotion to the "chic beach bum" lifestyle as the inspiration behind their collections, but Marysia Dobrzanska Reeves' line of perfectly-cut swimwear was, refreshingly, initially inspired by the birth of her daughter. "I need to set an example for her," Reeves told us, "and not be afraid to follow my dreams."

With figure-flattering silhouettes and strong color palettes, Reeves -- who, we learned, was a professional ballerina as well as a competitive swimmer -- renders elegant and slightly retro swim looks for the modern woman. "Since my childhood, I was either in a leotard or a swimsuit, so it made sense I start with swimsuits."

Her "Kava Maillot," for example, perfectly combines her delicate and sporty sensibilities with a classic, Marilyn Monroe-like halter shape embellished with eye-catching bolts of electric blue down either side.

"I love Grace Kelly, Carolyn Bassette Kennedy, Lauren Hutton ... They are my style icons in general along with some modern day girls, but I'm really attracted to vintage swimwear photographs," Reeves explains. "My 2012 collection is inspired by Slim Aaron's photographs of the jet-setting crowd from the past -- it's just so dreamy to me."

With wintry days looming large, perhaps a little jet-set dreaminess is just what we need.